Stopped Sigma-Algebra preserves Inequality between Stopping Times
Theorem
Let $\struct {\Omega, \Sigma, \sequence {\FF_n}_{n \ge 0}, \Pr}$ be a filtered probability space.
Let $T$ and $S$ be stopping times with respect to $\sequence {\FF_n}_{n \ge 0}$ such that:
- $\map S \omega \le \map T \omega$
for each $\omega \in \Omega$.
Let $\FF_S$ and $\FF_T$ be the stopped $\sigma$-algebras associated with $S$ and $T$ respectively.
Then:
- $\FF_S \subseteq \FF_T$
Proof
Let $A \in \FF_S$ and $t \in \Z_{\ge 0}$.
If $\omega \in \Omega$ is such that:
- $\map T \omega \le t$
we have:
- $\map S \omega \le t$
So:
- $\set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t} \subseteq \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map S \omega \le t}$
for each $t \in \Z_{\ge 0}$.
So, from Intersection with Subset is Subset, we have:
- $\set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t} \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map S \omega \le t} = \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t}$
So, we have from Intersection is Associative:
- $A \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t} = \paren {A \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map S \omega \le t} } \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t}$
Since $T$ is a stopping time with respect to $\sequence {\FF_n}_{n \ge 0}$ we have:
- $\set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t} \in \FF_t$
and since $A \in \FF_S$ we have:
- $A \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map S \omega \le t} \in \FF_t$
Since $\FF_t$ is closed under finite intersection, we have:
- $A \cap \set {\omega \in \Omega : \map T \omega \le t} \in \FF_t$
for all $t \in \Z_{\ge 0}$.
So $A \in \FF_T$, giving $\FF_S \subseteq \FF_T$.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 2014: Achim Klenke: Probability Theory (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Lemma $9.21$